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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: degree · wave · straw · hand · root · content · sharp · pound

  1. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. root — the cause
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. root — of a plant
  4. root — of a word
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. straw — a straw man
  7. content — happy
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. hand — help
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. hand — in cards
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. content — the amount
  16. degree — from a university
  17. sharp — clever
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. degree — temperature
  20. straw — dry grass
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. degree — an amount
  24. pound — a weight

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com